Vapor current-rectifying device.



F. CONRAD.

VAPOR CURRENT RECTIFYING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 10, 1910.

1,234,875. Patented July 31, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: u gI JVENTOR '6 Z @M 072 I H I ATTORNEY F.C0NRAD. VAPOR CURRENT RECTIFYING DEVICE.

APP LlCATl0N FILED DEC-10. 1910.

1 ,234,875 Patented July 31, 1917.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

F. CONRAD.

VAPOR CURRENT RECTIFYING DEVJCE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. no. 1910.

1,234,875. Patented July 31,1917.

v 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- ET a EL 21 -31 22 a4 a1 Ill WITNESSES: C gNVENTOR BY I I 2 'ZATTOIRNEY F. CONRAD.

VAPOR CURRENT RECTIfYING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED 050.10, 1910.

1,234,875. Patented July 31, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

} WITNESSES: INVENTOR O'ZMA W BY Q'wfi ZATTIORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RANK CONRAD, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB '10 WESTINGHOUSE ELBO- I'BIO AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

VAPOR CUBBENT-BECTIIYING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 31, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK Comm), a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Swissva-le, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Va or Current- Rectifying Devices, of which t e following is a specification.

My invention relates to current-rectifying devices of the vapor type, and it has for its object to provide a vapor rectifier that is exceptionally effective and reliable in operation and is provided with a metallic or other conducting casing that is vacuum tight.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a sectional view of a rectifier that embodies my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the rectifier of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view, through a modlfied form of the rectifier, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the rectifier of Fig. 3. g The casing of the rectifier of Fig. 1 comprises a bowl or base 1 that is so shaped as to provide a main central compartment 2 and lateral compartments 3, 4 and 5 that are equally spaced around the central compartment and are separated from it by hollow partitions 6 that promote ventilation and cooling of the device. Cooling of the device is further facilitated by ribs 7 upon the bowl that increase its superficial area, and also by placing the same in a suitable receptacle 8 containing water or other cooling liquid that may or may not flow continuously therethrough.

A cover 9 is tightly clamped upon the bowl by means of tap bolts 10, the engaging faces of the said parts being tapered, while other portions of the adjacent faces thereof are so shaped as to provide an annular space directly above the tapered joint between them for the reception of mercury or other suitable liquid 11 that serves to render the joint more nearly vacuum tight.

Resting upon the bottom of the central compartment 2, is an insulating bowl 13, that may be composed of quartz, porcelain or other suitable material, said bowl containing a body of mercury 14 that constitutes a vaporizable negative electrode for the rectifier. As mercury condenses upon the sides of the casing during operation of the device, it first fills the space around the bowl 13, and then at intervals runs over into it, the mercury that condenses in the lateral chambers 3, 4 and'5 flowing through passages 15 in the partitions 6 into the bottom of the central chamber.

Suspended from the cover 9 and projecting through the same and into the mercury, is a rod 16 that constitutes the negative terminal of the device, the portion of the rod within the casing being surrounded by an insulating sleeve or cylinder 17 that also projects into the mercury 14. The rod 16 is provided, near its upper end, with a flange 18 having a tapered lower face seated upon a correspondingly shaped internal shoulder on an insulating bushing 19 that insulates the rod from the casing and extends downwardlyover the end of the insulating sleeve 17, so that the said parts constitute a substantially continuous insulating protection for the rod. The sleeve 17 and the bushing 19 may, if desired, be united by glazing or cementing. The rod 16 is also loosely surrounded by a short insulating sleeve 20 that rests upon the upper face of the flange 18, and by a sleeve or nut 21 having a th eaded connection with another sleeve 22 t at is cemented or otherwise secured in, or to, the upper end of the insulating bushing 19. An asbestos or other suitable compressible washer 23 is interposed between the lower end of the nut 21 and the upper end of the sleeve 20 and serves, in conjunction with said nut and said sleeve, to force the lower conical face of the flange 18 against its seat in the bushing 19. The spaces between the sleeve 20, the rod 16 and the bushing 19 are partially filled with mercury that improves the tightness of the joint between the flange upon the rod 16 and the bushing 19, the.

sleeve 20 being preferably perforated to permit the mercury to dispose itself freely in the said spaces, and the nut 21 being provided with longitudinal passages 24 that permit of pouring the mercury into the said spaces.

Since the sleeve 20 is composed of insulating material, and preferably of the same kind as that composing the bushing 19, the latter is not subject to undue strains resulting from unequal expansions of the rod 16 and the insulating parts surrounding it, and a tight joint between the said parts may be maintained without difficulty.

The bushing 19 is provided, upon its outer face and near its lower end, with a conical shoulder for which a similarly shaped seat is provided in the cover 9, the bushing being clamped upon its seat by means of a sleeve or nut that is screwed into the cover and between which and another shoulder upon the bushing 19 is interposed an asbestos or other suitable compressible washer 26. An annular or cylindrical space is provided be tween the bushing 19 and the cover, directly above the joint between the, said parts. and the said space is filled with mercury 27, the sleeve or nut 25 being provided with longitudinal passages 28 that permit of readily pouring the mercury into the said space.

The lateral compartments 3, i and 5 in the bowl 1 of the casing are provided for the reception of the positive terminal members or electrodes 30 of the device which members are carried at the lower ends of rods 81 that project through the cover 9 and are supported therefrom in the same manner as is the negative terminal rod 16. The said elec trodes, as here shown, consist of suitably bent sheet steel vanes, though they may be otherwise shaped and may be composed of other. suitable materials, such as carbon. The partitions 6 extend to such a height that a straight line path does not exist between the positive electrodes and the mercury 14 within the bowl 13.

A pipe 32, that may conveniently lead to a pump or other means for exhausting the chamber within the casing of the rectifier,

is also suitably secured in the cover 9;

The device of Figs. 3 and 4 is similar, in general form, to that of Figs. land 2, but is composed of sheet metal and its compartments are tubular in shape. The compartments are also provided with separate covers through which the terminal leads extend and in which they are secured in a manner quite similar to that set forth in connection with Figs. 1 and 2. The bowl 33 in the main central compartment, also, has its upper edge turned inwardly to provide a barrier that is interposed in a direct or straight line path between the positive electrodes and the mercury constituting the negative electrode. Suspended from the cover of the central compartment thereis also a starting electrode 34 and the said cover may also be provided with taps for connection to a vacuum pump and for a gage.

I claim as my invention:

1. A vapor converter comprising a conducting casing, an anode supported therein and an insulating vessel located within the casing and containing a vaporizable electrode and having its upper edge turned inwardly-to project between said vaporizable electrode and said anode, whereby particles of material projected from said vaporizable electrode are substantially prevented from impinging upon said anode.

2. The combination with a conducting rod having a flange, and an insulating bushing surrounding the rod and having an internal seat for one face of the said flange, of a bushing adj ustably secured in the end of the insulating bushing, and an insulating sleeve interposed between the adjustable bushing and the flange on the rod.

3. The combination with a conducting rod having a flange, and an insulating bushing surrounding the rod and having an internal seat for one face of the said flange, of a bushing adjustably secured in the end of the insulating bushing, an insulating sleeve interposed between the adjustable bushing and the flange on the rod, and a body of mercury occupying the spaces between the parts within the insulating bushing.

4. The combination with a conducting rod having a flange, and an insulating bushing surrounding the rod and having an internal seat for one face of the said flange, of a bushing adjustably secured in the end of the insulating bushing and having a passage extending longitudinally therethrough, an insulating sleeve interposed between the adjustable bushing and the flange on the rod, and a body of mercury occupying the spaces between the parts within the insulating bushing.

5. The combination with having a flange, and an insulating bushing surrounding the rod and having an internal seat for one face of the said flange, of an insulating sleeve surrounding the rod within the bushin and bearing upon the other face of the ange, a sleeve secured in the end of the insulating bushing, and a bushing screwed into the latter sleeve and adapted to force the insulating sleeve against the flange on the rod.

6. The combination with a conducting rod having a flange, and an insulating bushing surrounding the rod and having an internal,

seat for one face of the said flange, of an in sulating sleeve surrounding the rod within the bushing and bearing upon the other face of the flange, a sleeve secured in the end of the insulating bushing, a bushing screwed into the latter sleeve and adapted to force the insulating sleeve against the flange on the rod, and a body of mercury occupying the spaces between the parts within the insulating bushing.

7. A vapor converter comprising a casing having a main vertical compartment and a laterally extending compartment, an insulating receptacle in the main compartment, a vaporizable electrode contained therein, and another electrode located in the laterally extending compartment. 7

8. A vaporconverter comprising a casing having a main vertical compartment and a laterally extending compartment, an insulating receptacle located in the main compartment "and having its top turned inwardly, a vaporizable electrode contained a conducting rod 7 therein, and another electrode located in the laterally extending compartment.

9. A vapor converter comprising a casing having a main vertical tubular compartment and a laterally extending tubular compartment, a vaporizable electrode contained in and insulated from the main compartment, and another electrode located in the laterally extending compartment.

lO. A vapor rectifier comprising a plurality of electrodes, a casing having a compartment for each electrode, and a removable cover for each compartment.v

11. A vapor rectifier comprising a plurality of electrodes, a casing having a compartment for each electrode, a removable cover for each compartment, and leading-in conductors extending through the covers to the electrodes.

12. A vapor converter comprising a casing, an insulating vessel located within the casing and containing a vaporizable electrode, and another electrode within the casing, the said vessel serving as a barrier between the electrodes.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 8th day of Dec.,

FRANK CONRAD. Witnesses O'rro S. SOHAIRER, B. B. Hmns. 

